The Van Spengen auction house in Hilversum was broken into early Monday morning. Thieves captured an unknown number of silverware. The auction house announced this on Monday morning on his site announced. The silver auction planned for this week has been cancelled.
The police arrived on the scene shortly after the alarm went off, says owner Martijn Janssens, but by then the thieves had already fled. “They were only in for a few minutes.”
A third of the 400 lots that Van Spengen would auction this week consisted of silver works. An inventory should make it clear exactly what was included, says Janssens. “In any case, I am missing four eighteenth-century candlesticks and a special coffee pot.”
Janssens fears that the thieves will melt down the objects. “They are probably not concerned about the art-historical value of the objects, but about the material.”
Veilinghuis Van Spengen has existed since 1946. According to Janssens, this is the first time that the company has been broken into. “Very annoying for the contributors and for potential buyers. Fortunately, we are well insured.”